RM Sotheby’s sells the most valuable Ferrari ever sold at auction for $51.7 million

The 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO, chassis 3765 Becomes the Second Highest Price Achieved for a Car at Auction

Digging deep

 The once-in-a-generation chance to own the sole factory-owned Series I GTO has concluded.

It was part of Sotheby’s New York sales of Contemporary and Modern Art, and a piece of Ferrari history. After nearly four decades in private ownership, the classic car was claimed by its new owner for $51.7 million (over £47.3m).

With such cars, it is not just the make, the model, the rarity, but also the history that comes with it.

This is the the only GTO Tipo 1962 raced by Scuderia Ferrari, with an impressive and perhaps legendary history.

Its racing pedigree alone includes clinching a class win and a 2nd overall finish at the 1962 Nürburgring 1000 KM. It was piloted by Mike Parkes and Lorenzo Bandini for Scuderia Ferrari at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, and also secured the position of runner-up in the 1965 Sicilian Hillclimb Championship.

Pedigree

It perhaps comes as no surprise that it was previously owned by a chairman of the Ferrari Club of America. With its prevalence, and the fact that so few of the models were produced and still exist, it has won plenty of awards. These include the FCA Platinum Award and the Coppa Bella Macchina at the Cavallino Classic, placed 2nd in the GTO class at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and received a Best of Show at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions for Sotheby’s described the car as one of “unparalleled stature”, and one of “the world’s most desirable objects”.

“The very ethos Enzo Ferrari embodied when designing this car. Fetching $51.7 million, this transaction adds a new chapter to a vehicle with an unmatched legacy. Now, it ranks among the most expensive cars sold at auction, a true testament to its singular place in history.”

Carer not owner

The sale was dubbed an extraordinary opportunity to acquire the Holy Grail of the sports car pantheon. This new, undisclosed owner, has acquired an important piece of motoring history. Whether driving it, touring in it, displaying it or even racing it at vintage and historic racing events, the new owner has secured a once in a lifetime opportunity to act as caretaker for a highly significant part of motoring and social history.